Apparatus for purifying water.



PATENTBDJANAIS, 19.03. g

H. M. LIVORA APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 7,1902.

NO MODEL.

Nrrn rates ATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. LIVoR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IPHEGENIA Z. PLACE, onNEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 718,485, dated January13, 1 903.

Application filed May '7, 1902. Serial No. 106,275 (No model.)

1'0 aZZ whom Z25 nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY M. LIVOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the borough of Manhattan, county 5 and State ofNew York, have made a newand useful Invention in Apparatus for PurifyingWater, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to an ID apparatus for purifyingwater through the agency of an electricalcurrent and filtering apparatuscombined therewith; and to this end it consists in the novel apparatusillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the followingspecification, the especial points of novelty being particularly pointedout in the claims at the end thereof.

For a full and clear understanding of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to construct and use the same, reference ishad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinalsectional View taken through a water'cooler or supply-cham- 2 5 her, afilter, and my novel electrical purifying apparatus as combinedtherewith; and Fig. 2 is a plan view as seen looking at Fig. 1 from thetop toward the bottom of the drawings, a part of the upper portion ofthe apparatus being broken away to better illustrate the interiorstructure thereof.

My invention comprehends a simple form of electrolyzing-chamber, inwhich the chamber itself is made, preferably, of one integral piece ofinsulating material and the electrodes secured therein, the outerelectrode being secured directly to the inner wall of the chamber andthe inner electrode by one end only to the bottom of the chamber and insuch manner that all parts of the two electrodes are at all timesconcentric with each other.

It comprehends also a novelarrangement of apparatus whereby when thewater in the supply-tank is practically all exhausted the circuit to thesource of electrical supply is automatically interrupted, therebyavoiding any waste of current.

My invention comprehends also the combi- 5o nation of such an apparatuswith a filter in which the filtering action is from the bottom towardthe top thereof, thus causing the water to be acted upon as it ascendstherefrom in the same manner as it was acted upon electrically as itascended through the electrolyzing-chamber. In other words, myinventioncontemplates the subjection of the entire volume of water to the actionof an electrical current before it passes tothe filter and in likemanner the subjection of the water to the filter, so as to insure thebest filtering action thereto before it reaches the final supplychamber.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, A represents a water-cooler orsupply-chamber, made, preferably, of insulating material, to one side ofwhich is secured in any preferred manner a filter having a containingvessel F and an interior filteringchamber F, the lower end of which isprovided with a wiregauze or other netting G of cylindrical form, saidwire-gauze portion and filtering-chamber F being'filled with sand M to adefinite point.

0 is an outlet-spout from the filter to the cooler or supply-chamber.

B represents my novel form of electrodecontaining chamber, constitutingwhat I term the electrolyzing-chamber, the same being constructed,preferably,of ins ulatin g material in one integral piece and having atits bottom a flange adapted to fit snugly within the supply-chamber A.To the inner wall of the chamber B is secured a closely-fitting metalliccylinder E,made,preferably,ofaluminium and constituting one of theelectrodes of the electrolyzing-chamber. The other electrode is composedof a metallic cylinder 0, made also, preferably, of aluminium and havingan inwardly-turned flange at its bottom by which it is secured by screwsor otherwise to the 0 bottom of the chamber 13 concentric with the outerelectrode E, after which any sealing agent, as wax or like material, isapplied around the inner surface, so as to prevent water from enteringat the bottom of the cylinder.

L L L L are brackets on the inner surface of the electrode 0, upon whichrests an insulating-disk H, adapted to support at its lower end a strongspiral spring S, the upper end of which bears in like manner against aninsulating-disk H, secured to the bottom of v the metallic water-supplychamber E, which rests normally with its bottom upon the uppercylindrical electrode 0, thus making good electrical contact therewith.The water-supply chamber E is also provided with a guiding-flange aboutits lower edge, adapted to guide said chamber in its upward and downwardmovement.

bis an electrical binding-post connected to the water-supply chamber E,and b is a similar binding-post connected to the other electrode E.

I is a water-cock connected to the watersupply chamber E, and J is aflexible tube connecting said cock with the electrolyzingchamber betweenthe electrodes 0 and E and at the bottom thereof, as clearly indicated,so that the water-supply w will always enter at the extreme lowersurface of said chamber.

P is an overflow-pan located directly opposite the tube J and cock I andconstituting a part of the electrode E, said pan being connected in turnby a flexible pipe or tube K with the filter F and at the top thereof,as shown.

The operation is as follows: The supplychamber E is filled with water,under which condition said chamber rests firmly with its metallic bottomupon the upper end of the electrode 0, making good electrical contacttherewith and maintaining the strong spiral spring S under compression,the tendency of the latter being to lift said chamber into the positionshown in dotted lines, which tendency, however, is overcome by theweight of the water. A source of electrical energy, as a battery orother electrical generator, is then connected at its opposite poles tothe hinding-posts b b. The cock is now opened and water allowed to flowinto the electrolyzingchamber between the electrodes E and 0. As itenters at the bottom of the electrolyzing-chamber constituting thenarrow space between said electrodes said Water causes the current toflow from the source of electrical energy between the electrodes andacts upon every part thereof from the moment that it first enters thevessel until the electrolyzing-chamber is completely filled, the water wfinally fiowingintothe pan Pand from thence by way of the pipe or tube Kinto the filter F, thence upward through the wiregauze portion G of thefilter and the sand M, finally passing through the pipe 0 into thechamber A in a purified condition. With such an arrangement all animaland vegetable matter assumes a fiocculent condition,and as it passesupward through the wire-gauze G and sand M of the filter this fiocculentmatter is deposited therein and the water in purified condition isstored in the vessel A. When the water reaches a certain definite levelin the supply-chamber E at a point determined by the strength of thespring S, the latter lifts by its yielding action the vessel into theposition shown in dotted lines, thereby interrupting the circuit betweensaid vessel and the electrode C, thus discontinuing the use of thecurrent, and therefore effecting a material saving, a matter ofimportance where dry or other batteries are used.

In Fig. 2 I have indicated the fact that the binding-post I) might beattached directly to the electrode 0, in which event of course thecircuit cannot be interrupted automatically.

By the structural arrangement hereinbefore described, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, I am enabled to quickly take apart theapparatus, as will be apparent on inspection, and to disconnect thefilter F from the supply-chamber A and pan P, after which the lid of thefilter may be removed and the filter flushed by admitting watertherethrough in the opposite direction. The disjointed nature of theseveral parts of the electrolyzing apparatus makesitpossiblc to separatethe parts and quickly clean them, such an apparatus being obviously welladapted for use with existing types of water-coolers.

I do not limit my imention to the specific details of constructionillustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinbefore described, asa number of the features thereof may be departed from and still comewithin the scope of my claims hereinafter made. I believe it is broadlynew with me to provide a water-purifier with an insulating waterchamberconstructed in one integral piece and having the electrodes securedthereto in any preferred manner, and my claims are generic as to thisfeature. My claims are also generic as to the feature of providingautomatic means for interrupting the current-flow to the purifier whenthe water-s11 pply is practically exhausted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In an electricalwater-purifier an electrolyzing-chamber having its walls and bottomconstructed of one integral piece of insulating material and having anelectrode secured directly to its inner wall; in combination with asecond electrode secured directly to the bottom of the chamber so thatall parts of said electrode are located at relatively equal distancesfrom all parts of the firstnamed electrode, substantially as described.

2. In an electrical water-purifier an electrolyzing-chamber made ofinsulating material and of cylindrical form with its walls and bottom ofone integral piece and having an electrode secured to the inner surfaceor wall thereof; in combination with a second cylindrical electrodesecured at its lower end directly to the bottom of the chamber andconcentric with the first-named electrode, substantially as described.

3. An electrical water-purifier having an electrolyzing chamber and twoelectrodes therefor; in combination with a water-supply chamber and anautomatic circuit-interrupting device adapted to automatically interruptthe circuit between the electrodes IIO IZC

when the water-supply has reached a definite amount, substantially asdescribed;

4. An electrical water-purifier having two electrodes located in anelectrolyzing-chainher; in combination with circuit-interrupting devicescontrolled by the supply of water and in such manner that when thelatter is nearly exhausted the circuit is interrupted between theelectrodes, substantially as described.

5. A combined water purifier and filter having an electrolyzing-chamberand Water-conveying means whereby the Water is conveyed through thechamber from the bottom toward the top; in combination with a filterconnected with the electrolyzing-chamber in such manner that the Waterenters thefilter at the bottom and ascends therethrough, the entireaction of the purifier and filter being elfected while the water isascending in each instance, substantially as described.

6. A combined water purifier and filter consisting of a supply-cham her,an electrolyzingchamber and a filter, the supply-chamber being connectedto the electrolyzing-chamber at the bottom thereof and the filter beingconnected to the electrolyzing-chamber at the top thereof, the filterbeing so constructed that the water is delivered to the lower endthereof and the entire arrangement such that the purifying action of thepurifier is effected while the water is ascending therethrough and thefiltering action is effected While the water is ascending through thefilter, substantially as described.

7. A combined water purifier and filter consisting of a water-supplychamber; an electrolyzing-chamber and a cooler or receivingsupply-chamber together With a filter, the watersupply chamber andelectrolyzing-chamber being located one above the other and both abovethe receiving-chamber or cooler and the filter detachably secured to theside of the cooler and to the electrolyzing-chamber, substantially asdescribed.

8. A combined water purifier and filter consistin g of a water-supplychamber and an electrolyzing-chamber located the one above the other anddetachably connected together by a pipe which enters theelectrolyzing-chamher at the bottom thereof; in combination with areceiving-chamber or cooler upon which both of the before-mentionedvessels are detachably supported; together with a filter detachablysecured to the side of the re-- ceiving-chamber and connected by a pipeto the upper part of the electrolyzing-chamber, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY M. LIVOR.

